Antispreading device for rails.



v E. SAUVIN. yNTISFREADING DEVICE FOR RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.10. 1916.

m@ x Patented Dec. 5,1916.

wow/Moz @Houma ELMER SAU'VAN, F AGENDA, KANSAS.

mmawmim i .lpnlieatien tiled .March 1U, 193.6.

To (d 'una/om it in 61?/ concern llc it hnown that l, Emma Sani/ain., a. citizen of the United States, residing at .'igreiida, in` the county of Republic and Siate oi Kansas, have ii'ivented certain new and useful .lmprovements in fintispreai'ling Devices for llails, of which the vfollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to railway tracks and morepartieularly to new and useful improvenients in anti-spreading' devices for rails.

An object of my invention is to provide an anti-spreading;a device et' the class described adapted to be positioned at intervals along,r a railway track between the ties to prevent lateral spreadingf of the rails which at the present time is the cause ot many disastrous wrecks.

Another object of my invention is to provide an anti-spreading device of the class described which may be quickly and easily applied ,in operative position on a railway track without the use ot tools, the only tool necessary being a monkey-wrench, it being possible for one man to apply numbers of the anti-spreading devices in av relatively short time. 'My invention is so ermstructed that it is possible to apply the usual insu latiner material to the device 'to prevent short eircuitinp; of the rails which would render inoperative the block signal system.

A iurther object of my invention is to' provide an anti-spreading device for rails, which is simple in construction, cheap to nnlnuliacture, si'nronar and durable and eii'ee tive in operation. i

@ther objects and advantages to he de rived from the use of my invention will appear from the following): detail description and the claim, taken with an inspection ot" the accornpanyim;r drawings, in Whichlligure l is an end sectional view of a. railway track showingminrside elevation my improved anti-spreading device in operative position, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, and Fin'. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one end o'l the anti-spreading' device.

Referring more particularly to the draw-- ings, wherein similar characters of relierence designate like and corresponding parts throughout the various views, l and 2 desienate' the vrails of a railway traclf, the rails being of the. usual shape and having" the Specifieaten of Letters 'Patent'.

patented @een 5, itvlivh seran no. 513,301.

bases il, Athe rails being mounted on the usual ties oif wood or metal designated 4.

As shown in the drawings my invention is applied to the usual type of railway track but l do not limit myseltl to such pplication, since by modification of a detail the device may be applied to street railway tracks, mine railwaysA and other non-permanent railwajvs.

My invention' preferably embodies an antispreading,r device comprising a major or body portion 5 the ends of which are widened as at (l. and upturned as at 7 to provide end shoulders. Strengthening webs S are formed beneath the enlarged portions C, and extend upwardly along: the shoulder "l as indicated at il. It will be apparent that it is preferable that the major portion of the anti-spreader and `the webs be cast in te'n'rally. K

s best shown in Fig'. l the enlarged portions il are. intended to lie l'ieneath the rails l and 2. the bases of the rails receiving said enlarged portions. Detachable rail engagingrr elements are provided and comprise body portions l0 formed with flanges l1 alongr the opposite marginal edges thereof, said flanges being adapted to engage the vertical marginal edges of the shoulder 7, as shown to advantage in Fig'. 3. The body portion l() is extended laterally to provide ,Tn order to retain the clamping element on r the shoulders l provide set screws 13 which extend through the body l0 of the clamping elenient into the shoulders. llt is pre-iierahle that the flanged portions of the clamping elements he inherently resilient in order to irietionally engage the shoulder wliereby to prevent rattling: oi the device as a train passes thereover.

lVhile I have lshown my invention as applied to a tangent ol a railway'traelir it is ot course understood that the device may be as readily applied to a eurve and perhaps its advantageous features may be more ap parent when used on a curve. than on a tangent. however, it will be understood that the exact location of the device does not ailect it materially.

lt willl be readily apparent that should it be desired to use the device on a railroad employing the wel] known block sigg* naling system the insulating material com` monly used may be easily inserted between the rail engagingportion l2, the rail base and enlarged portions (i. Of course, where the device is to be used in this manner the distance between the rail engaging portion l2 and the base 6 must be increased to accommodate the insulating material.

It will thus be seen that I lai'e provided a simple anti-spreading device for railway trae-irs which, while it is particularly adapted for the purposedesoribed is capable of a wide scope of application. @ne man may carry four or live of these anti-Spreaders' on a hand car and place the same in position where necessary along the railway.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it isthought that a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction, operi ation and advantages of my invention may be had, and while I have shown and detion, a section of the body extending laterally and `slightly upward to conform to the slanting upper surface of a rail base, the marginal edges of; the body being flexed to provide means for engaging the said shoulders and means for looking said clamping member to the shoulder for a purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ELMER SAUVAIN. 

